The 4 Aspects of a Twitter Profile That Drive Traffic

By now I’m sure you’ve heard all about social media as a source of lead generation. And I’m sure you’ve heard every argument for, or against, a certain platform. After all, each company may find success in a different channel.

Twitter is a great place to connect with customers and handle online customer complaints. But it can also provide a great medium for lead generation.

We’re here to show you the four most important aspects of a Twitter profile that will help increase followers and drive traffic to your site.

1. Your Bio

Starbucks is a great example of what to do right on Twitter. We’ll dissect their profile, inspecting each element to learn how you can learn from their success.

Your Value Proposition. It’s important to tell people what you do. In the Starbucks example above, it’s not about their product and extra features, like whipped cream or caramel drizzle. Instead it’s about what they can do to make their customers’ lives better, like helping them feel refreshed and awake for their morning meetings. Ask yourself, “What do you simplify?” or, “What do you make better?” Once you answer that in a concise way, relay it in your bio.

Starbucks’ tagline is, “changing the world one cup of coffee at a time.” That’s a story people want to hear. Including a value proposition in your bio means you’re more than a company, and tells a story around what you bring to the table. If your business is data security, a good tagline may be, “Securing data, eliminating worry.” Once people see what you offer and see a bit of your personality, they’ll want to know more.

Your Location. The simplest part of your bio is something many people seem to overlook. Starbucks is headquartered in Seattle, which is clearly stated. Starbucks is also all over the world and their separate international accounts reflect those international headquarters. Starbucks UK, for example, has their location set as London, England.

Location makes your company seem more human, and they can imagine where you are. More importantly for small businesses and start-ups, including your location in your bio indicates what time zone you’re located. That way leads can be aware if there’s a time difference to consider when conducting business.

Your Website. The URL portion of your bio could possibly be the most important part of your bio. You’ve told a story about who you are as a company, and now you have to provide a path for customers to find out more and engage with you.

Utilize the URL portion of your bio to direct people to your home page or a landing page. Just remember that what you portray on Twitter should match the website or landing page you are directing leads towards.

2. A Pinned Tweet

A pinned tweet must be chosen carefully because it stays at the top of your Twitter profile no matter how long ago is was posted. Use this opportunity to highlight various aspects of your product or service. Starbucks’ pinned tweet highlights a way to enjoy coffee when it’s hot outside, as well as showcasing a new product – their KatiKati coffee!

You can use a pinned tweet to showcase a new product like Starbucks did, or highlight a recent blog post. This allows leads to see that post right away, and if the image that goes with it is engaging, they’re more likely to read it than they would be if it were farther down your timeline. Then viola! You have another way to drive people to your website or blog.

Maybe you want to highlight a whitepaper you were a part of, an eBook you wrote, or a big article you were mentioned in. Any of those tweets are good to pin because they build credibility, direct leads to your website, and help create buzz about your company.

3. Your Brand Voice

If anything, your brand voice has to be consistent. Not only should it be consistent across your tweets, but it should also match the personality of your audience. If you create a brand image online that does not align with your audience, they will not want to connect with you.

Keeping with the Starbucks example, their profile is full of fun, quirky posts and images that tell their audience they’re here to provide a brief getaway from the daily grind. They relay the message of being a fun part of your summer routine and a great way to cool off. In the winter, they create the feeling of being warm and snuggly with a non-fat, double shot, tall latte with two pumps of vanilla syrup. Or maybe just a medium black coffee.

Either way, Starbucks matches their voice to what their customers want, and you should do the same. A brand voice that aligns with customers builds a cohesive brand image and will not alienate the audience you have already cultivated. It’s also important to remember that building a brand voice is not a quick fix to driving traffic. It’s a long-term activity that makes your brand recognizable, no matter how long it may take a lead to convert.

4. The Header Image

This is the fun part! The header image of your profile is a way to develop your brand and easily change it according to evolutions in the company. The example above wants you to equate green grass and cold drinks not only to summer, but also to Starbucks.

Your header image can be a picture of a new product, an image illustrating a metaphor for your product, a skyline view of the city you’re located in, or a picture similar to what is on your landing page. All of these ways sharpen your brand voice and brand image, encouraging customer engagement.

All in all, creating a Twitter profile can be fun. It’s a great way to get creative with the content you post and engage with your audience. But you can’t just set up a great profile and walk away. Keep your location and URL up to date as the company evolves. Change your pinned tweet as you reach new goals. Adapt your header image to reflect all that you’ve worked to build.

Twitter can be a very effective channel to drive traffic to your blog, especially when you target the right market with the help of Socedo. Being part of the conversation and engaging with your target market is imperative so you don’t alienate yourself from prospective customers. It’s important to not get stuck in your own world. Instead, create a welcoming space within the world of your audience.